10 Warning Sign That Your Computer is Infected by Viruses

Here is a warning sign that you might not like, but can happen every day. You are working on an important project and suddenly start noticing annoying pop-ups displayed on your computer. In addition, it takes too long to load your files or computer applications. You wait, and wait again before you start to ask yourself:

“Does my computer have a virus? “

Unfortunately, the answer could be “yes” and your computer could already be corrupted with viruses or advanced malware that slow down its activity and performance.

This is one of the signs that your PC might be suffering from computer virus infection. However, there are more signs you need to know and understand so that you can act quickly.

In this article, we’ll show you the most common warning signs of malware infection and what you can do to avoid it.

Summary:

Your Computer Has Become Slow
Annoying Advertisements Are Displayed
Your PC Often Crashes (Crash)
Pop-up Messages Appear
The Home Page of Your Browser Has Been Changed Without Your Consent
Your Security Software is Disabled
Unknown Icons Are Displayed on Your Desktop
Unusual Error Messages
You Cannot Access the Control Panel
Everything Seems to Work Fine on Your PC

Sign 1: Your Computer Has Become Slow

If you are dealing with this warning sign, it could indicate the presence of viruses on your computer. Sure enough, it’s so frustrating to watch it load slowly. It is a proven fact that one of the main activities of malware is slowing down your operating system, every time you browse the Internet or just try to access your local applications.

Solution:

Here are some of the most common causes that slow down your PC:

Your system’s RAM memory is low and may be due to the high number of applications you are currently using. The “task manager” is a great tool for finding programs that are using the most of your RAM memory. Press CTRL + ALT + DEL simultaneously on your PC, choose Task Manager where there is a list of your current applications that you have open.
There is no storage space on your hard drive, so you need to check your files and documents stored there and do a cleanup.
This slowdown occurs particularly when you are browsing the Internet. You should therefore check your browser settings and then delete your browsing data.
A fragmented system which means the storage space is used inefficiently which reduces the performance of your PC.
Your Windows operating system has not been updated or you are using outdated drivers.
Your hard drive is showing signs of weakness and will soon fail. Backing up your data is strongly recommended.
If you’ve already fully checked for these possible causes and everything seems to be working fine, you can start to potentially consider a malware infection.

Sign 2: Annoying Advertisements Are Displayed

Unexpected pop-ups that appear on your screen are typically the signs of a malware infection that is wreaking havoc on your computer. This kind of malware is known as spyware which is designed to collect and steal sensitive data from users without their knowledge.

In this particular case, the main problem is created not only by the numerous pop-up windows affecting your internet browsing but also because it is quite difficult to remove them from the system.

These pop-ups are not only frustrating but usually accompanied by other hidden malware threats that are much more destructive to our systems. They can also be disguised as legitimate programs and track your web browsing data or monitor your online activity to collect passwords and other personal information.

We strongly recommend that you never click on a suspicious pop-up!

Rather, get in touch quickly with a computer repairer who will disinfect your machine in-depth and take care of putting it back on its feet while filling in as much as possible the security holes in your computer.

Likewise, to better protect your computer against malicious threats, be sure to use these security measures:

Do not click on pop-up windows
Do not respond to unsolicited emails or messages
Be very careful when downloading free apps from various websites

Sign 3: Your PC Often Crashes (Crash)

Fairly known, this blue screen can happen a lot, and it’s quite frustrating to see your computer crash while you are in full use. This is called BSOD (Blue Screen of Death). Then it restarts and says Windows is recovering from an unexpected shutdown.

You probably know this kind of mistake, don’t you?

There can be two things causing this type of problem:

You might be dealing with a technical issue caused by a potential incompatibility between your software and/or your hardware.
Or it could be a malware issue.

If you suspect a technical problem, it can lead to this :

Various programs are running on your PC, which may be conflicting? Are there any orphan registry keys that have not been deleted that might crash your system?

Orphan registry keys are pieces of information that were left out during the process of uninstalling several programs from your computer. They not only take up unnecessary space on the PC but can prevent its proper functioning.

To resolve this problem: Use Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) which can be opened in the Windows search bar where you select the Run command. This manual process of cleaning and deleting these orphan keys can quickly become discouraging, but above all, you have to know what to erase so as not to damage the computer.

Our recommendation is to run an automated cleanup session using a specialized program like CCleaner which is free (ironically, two versions of this tool were recently compromised with malware, but CCleaner is currently secure). As prevention, remember to back up your data before cleaning.

In case of a malware infection: Running a full scan on the system, even with a good antivirus, will not be enough to get rid of it. Instead, have your computer disinfected by an IT professional who will rely on layers of security on top of the antivirus to better fight against the threats that affect your computer and block them effectively.

If your system is constantly crashing or the infamous BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) pops up on a regular basis, this is a clear warning that your system is not working properly and you should take care of it.

Sign 4: Pop-up Messages Appear

If you receive this warning message, it means that there is no more free space on your computer’s primary hard drive (in this case, C). More and more users are reporting this problem.

The cause? Here’s what Microsoft has to say about it:

This problem may occur if the free disk space on your computer has fallen below the low disk space notification threshold associated with the Disk Cleanup utility.

How can I fix this? First of all, you need to check if your physical storage space has increased recently or if some of your files have disappeared or changed names. Also, make sure that you have deleted any old or unnecessary files that can reduce your PC performance.

Nevertheless, this could be another sign of malware infection, as there are many types of malware, which use different methods, to completely fill the available space on the hard drive and cause it to crash.

Sign 5: The Home Page of Your Browser Has Been Changed Without Your Consent

If you have noticed this unusual behaviour of your internet browser or a new toolbar appearing out of nowhere, or if you have been redirected to a different web address than the one you originally used, these are signs of an infection. by malware.

This infection usually happens when you visit a website and accidentally click on a link or popup. This triggers the unwanted software to download and install on your device. Its effects are not only annoying but also malicious.

What to do? Call an IT professional for a full security scan as soon as possible. Why? Because these types of threats don’t go away easily.

Sign 6: Your Security Software is Disabled

If you find that your antivirus solution no longer seems to work or the update module is disabled, you should immediately check for ways to fix it.

Did you know that certain types of malware are sneaky and can disable your security solution?

Well, yes, they are designed to leave users helpless and make it difficult for users to detect them. If you’ve ever tried restarting your computer, closed and opened the security solution, and all of your troubleshooting efforts were wasted, you may be considering malware infection.

It is a known fact that traditional antivirus solutions cannot easily detect, block, or remove new malware that is always ahead of the curve (such as ransomware or adware and finance malware). Thus, you can be exposed to all kinds of attacks for which second-generation malware escapes detection by antivirus.

Sign 7: Unknown Icons Are Displayed on Your Desktop

If you’ve noticed new, unknown icons on your PC, you’ve probably accidentally installed sneaky programs called PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs). These are malicious programs that can do a lot of damage and put you at risk for data leaks, displaying annoying advertisements or pop-ups on the screen, or adding toolbars to your browser.

If you are infected with PUPs, quickly consult a computer repair company to remove these unwanted programs from your computer.

Sign 8: Unusual Error Messages

An error message like this could indicate that there is a problem in your system that needs to be fixed but it could also be a warning sign of malware infection. These types of error messages involving missing or corrupted file folders suggest that your PC has been compromised and its performance is affected, causing it to run slowly.

How to fix this problem: Perform a full maintenance on your computer to check for viruses. Also make sure that the latest updates are installed on your operating system and regularly check for security patches, application and driver updates.

Sign 9: You Cannot Access the Control Panel

If you are having this problem and your Control Panel does not open, it means that your computer is having a technical problem and is not functioning properly.

How to solve this problem: The first thing to do is to contact a local computer repairer. It could also be a sign that your computer is vulnerable and exposed to potential cyber-attacks.

Sign 10: Everything Seems to Work Fine on Your PC

When it comes to data protection, it is essential to be a little paranoid and very careful, even if everything seems normal. Why ? Because cybercriminals are resourceful and can hide malware in the most unexpected places, leaving no visible marks while infecting your computer.

Everything can seem perfectly normal on your PC until a bot on your system, which waits silently, receives instructions to access and collect your most sensitive data.

Can You Avoid Malware Infections?

Yes, you definitely can, if you pay close attention to these early signs of malware infection and prevent them from happening. Make sure that your operating system, browsers and plugins are always up to date, as keeping your software patches can prevent criminals from entering your PC.

Make sure your network is safe and secure, and always think before you click on anything. Browse secure areas and access trusted online sources to avoid potential online threats.